J's Coffee Shop (Gone)
Delano, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Welcome to J's Coffee Shop in Delano. Stop in for some hot coffee and a break from the road. Wait, where's the coffee shop? Hmm ... there's the marquee, but no one's home. Not even a building to knock on.
The old sign stood along the Highway 99 corridor long after the eatery itself had disappeared. Check out the sweeping script lettering and shaped backing panel. Quite a roadside greeting for an empty lot. The sign was still doing its job, though anyone following it in for breakfast was going to have a long wait.
J's was part of a California restaurant chain with locations in valley towns including Bakersfield, Selma, Modesto and Atwater. A familiar name to look for while traveling, with coffee shops spread along the routes. This Delano stop eventually had just the name left.
Welcome to J's Coffee Shop and stop in for some hot
coffee. Wait, where is J's you may ask? Hmm... there's the marquee but
no one's home. The marquee of J's still sits along the old highway, still
advertising the ghost of a roadside eatery in Delano, California.
J's Coffee Shop
Delano, CA Photo courtesy John King
With the building gone, there was plenty of room to get a look at the lone marquee. It also caught the attention of night photographers, who used long exposures and light painting to give the old sign another turn in the spotlight. No coffee being poured, but still something going on out by the highway.
UPDATE: Here's a close-up shot of the J's Coffee Shop marquee, still standing in the empty lot off Highway 99. Many thanks to John King for photo update. 10-10
UPDATE: The J's Coffee Shop marquee has since been removed. The exact removal year hasn't been confirmed, but the sign that outlasted the diner is now gone too. No more mistaking this empty stop for a coffee break. 09-26
Bob's Big Boy (Demolished)
Fresno, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Check out this Bob's Big Boy in Fresno, with its low roofline and ranch-style look. Another version of the chain's coffee shop architecture to catch while cruising along Blackstone Avenue. A burger stop with a little suburban flavor.
The property had two roadside signs, both finding other work after Bob's closed. One was altered for a gas station, while the other advertised Fu Hai Chinese Restaurant. The signs hung around longer than the original menu.
UPDATE: Bob's Big Boy in Fresno, CA, closed in September of 2005. I was really sorry to see it go. Many years ago, as a kid I actually saw Ronald Reagan, Johnny Weissmuller, and Zsa Zsa Gabor in there, although not at the same time. I was with my grandmother and step-grandfather and they told me they were there and who they were. When I was older and remembered seeing them there, I couldn't figure out why they went to Bob's Big Boy. I didn't realize it was a franchise, with restaurants in Southern California; I thought it was a local thing. Now it kind of makes sense. Many thanks to Patti Elde for update. 09-10
UPDATE: The Bob's Big Boy location is now home to the Best Plaza Shopping Center and it appears a Taco Bell occupies the area where the sign used to be. 08-13
UPDATE: The Bob's Big Boy building has been demolished and the property redeveloped. Its signage was altered and reused over the years. 09-26
Lauck's Restaurant (Gone)
Visalia, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Just off the main drag in Visalia, Lauck's Restaurant was a good find for fans of old coffee shop architecture. Check out the low roofline and broad windows, the sort of look worth taking a side street to catch. Lauck's closed in 2004, and remodeling left the building looking rather plain by this update. 12-06
The building survived, though the old restaurant lettering and signs were removed. Other food businesses took their turns here, including Glicks & Company and 80/20 Classic Burgers. Different menus, all under the former coffee shop's roof.
UPDATE: The former Lauck's building received another makeover in 2025, becoming a steakhouse called The Ranch. The old coffee shop look is gone, but the address has found another chapter as a place to eat. 09-26
Country Waffles (Former Bob's Big Boy)
Madera, CA Photo courtesy John Flores
This was originally a Bob's Big Boy in Madera California that was of the ranch design of the 70s . It later on changed to Eppies in the 80s and is now a Country Waffles today. Many thanks to John Floresfor info. 07-07
The restaurant became Eppies in the 1980s before taking on the Country Waffles name. Burgers gave way to another coffee shop menu, then waffles got their turn on the sign. The building kept finding work as a place for hungry travelers to stop.
UPDATE: Country Waffles has closed, but the restaurant lives on as The Waffle Spot. A former longtime waitress took over and remodeled the interior, keeping this Madera dining stop going under another name. 09-26
Farmer John's Pancake House (Demolished)
Bakersfield, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Farmer John's Pancake House was a staple in the Bakersfield area for good lunch and breakfast for many years. With its pronounced roadside sign standing prominently off of the old Route 99, this restaurant was a familiar sight to see for travelers for many years.
J's Coffee Shop (Gone)
Lauck's Restaurant (Gone)
Country Waffles (Former Bob's Big Boy)
Farmer John's Pancake House (Demolished)
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